The Reitz Union renovation project is back within its $75 million budget after the project encountered issues that briefly caused it to go $2.5 million over.
Reitz Union Executive Director Eddie Daniels said workers discovered challenges with soils and foundations.
Some of the project’s features were reduced so funding could go toward fixing the problems, which he said is a “delicate process.”
“You’ve got the Reitz Union on one side, you’ve got the Constans, so when you’re digging the foundations, you’ve got to make sure that the Constans doesn’t fall over into the hole,” he said. “Same with the Reitz Union.”
Daniels mentioned the minor setback Wednesday at a forum attended by about 30 students.
“Sometimes you don’t know what’s there until you actually tear the wall out,” he said. “That will probably happen again. I hope it’s not $2.5 million next time, but that’s to be expected in a project like this.”
Workers also had to abate asbestos they found before starting to dismantle the Reitz Union Colonnade.
Changes to the Colonnade and other areas of the Reitz were discussed thoroughly at the forum.
In a Q-and-A session with students, Daniels said the Grand Ballroom, food court and parking garage are not within the project’s scope.
The ballroom is only 11 years old — new compared to the rest of the building, which opened May 1, 1967.
Daniels said there are no plans for increasing parking or adding restaurants.
Questions like those and others were cleared up for Tiffany Johnson, a 20-year-old UF political science and psychology junior.
She said the event was informative but should have been better publicized.
A version of this story ran on page 4 on 8/29/2013 under the headline "Reitz Union renovation budget hiccup discussed at forum"
About 30 people listen in on the Know Your Reitz forum in the Reitz Union on Wednesday afternoon. Reitz Union Executive Director Eddie Daniels and Gator Dining representatives spoke to the crowd — mostly people involved in Student Government — about the effects the renovation construction will have on students.
